Hillary Clinton is the big winner in Massachusetts, and the Kennedy family has lost out.
That's the lesson of the state's Democratic primary to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, which was won by state Attorney General Martha Coakley.
Remarkably, after a half-century of being at the very center of Massachusetts politics, the Kennedys could not even hand the Democratic nomination for Teddy's United States Senate seat to someone they supported.
Well-placed political sources say the public shouldn't be fooled by the "fake" endorsements by the Kennedys of Coakley in coming days.
"They can't stand her," said one.
Coakley began running for the seat when Kennedy was still in the early stages of his fight against brain cancer.
"That went down like a fart in an elevator with the Kennedy family," said the source.
Coakley also supported Clinton for President even when Kennedy and his family swung behind Obama in the 2008 race — something the Kennedys will never forgive her for.
The Kennedys wanted Rep. Michael Capuano to win — he was by far their preferred candidate and had waited before declaring his candidacy. Coakley trounced him, and she will easily win the seat. Her Republican opponent is considered an opponent in name only.
Did the magic "Kennedy name" in Massachusetts politics end just like that? And perhaps forever?
"Somewhere, the Clintons are smiling," said another IrishCentral source.
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